So my best friend and I watched this episode tonight. It was my first watch in years since this is one of my least favorite episodes so it was essentially like I'd never watched it before other than two vague memories: Al getting Sam to rush out in his underwear to see Marilyn Monroe in her pool and Sam hurting her when he won't promise to always be there for her(which is one of my least favorite things about this episode).

After watching it tonight, we discussed how it's unclear what Sam's initial task was.
Clearly Barbara was not hired in the original timeline as it took Sam's convincing. This caused a significant ripple effect on Marilyn Monroe who was nearly sent to an earlier grave and then nearly lost her role in The Misfits.

So Sam ended up spending the episode cleaning up his mess but what had he been supposed to do before he'd even made a mess? Before he'd hired Barbara?

My thought is possibly another Peggy Sue, that he'd needed to ensure The Misfits was correctly titled. What significance does this have? Well this related to the 'Trivial Leap' discussion in the General forum. Perhaps it didn't get as popular under the original title or was never released. Who knows?

My best friend's theory is that perhaps he needed to get Barbara's career launched. She was essentially harmless; she didn't seem to intend any serious harm to Marilyn, she just wanted to keep her from the rehearsal. She just wanted the role. Trying to steal that role, The Misfits role could have been what accomplished that. Hudson was clearly impressed with her or was at least captured by her attractive body, so perhaps he could have passed on her name. This would eliminate her need to con her way into roles. Al never does say what became of her though.

I'm unsure what else it could have been, since obviously it wasn't to save Marilyn Monroe's life.

So my best friend and I watched this episode tonight. It was my first watch in years since this is one of my least favorite episodes so it was essentially like I'd never watched it before other than two vague memories: Al getting Sam to rush out in his underwear to see Marilyn Monroe in her pool and Sam hurting her when he won't promise to always be there for her(which is one of my least favorite things about this episode).

After watching it tonight, we discussed how it's unclear what Sam's initial task was.
Clearly Barbara was not hired in the original timeline as it took Sam's convincing. This caused a significant ripple effect on Marilyn Monroe who was nearly sent to an earlier grave and then nearly lost her role in The Misfits.

So Sam ended up spending the episode cleaning up his mess but what had he been supposed to do before he'd even made a mess? Before he'd hired Barbara?

My thought is possibly another Peggy Sue, that he'd needed to ensure The Misfits was correctly titled. What significance does this have? Well this related to the 'Trivial Leap' discussion in the General forum. Perhaps it didn't get as popular under the original title or was never released. Who knows?

My best friend's theory is that perhaps he needed to get Barbara's career launched. She was essentially harmless; she didn't seem to intend any serious harm to Marilyn, she just wanted to keep her from the rehearsal. She just wanted the role. Trying to steal that role, The Misfits role could have been what accomplished that. Hudson was clearly impressed with her or was at least captured by her attractive body, so perhaps he could have passed on her name. This would eliminate her need to con her way into roles. Al never does say what became of her though.

I'm unsure what else it could have been, since obviously it wasn't to save Marilyn Monroe's life.

Actually it WAS to save Marilyn Munroe's life. In the original timeline (when Sam leapt in) Marilyn originally died of an overdose during the party. Sam saved her, thus changing to the history that we all know. He then had to make sure Marilyn did her last movie, the Misfits.

Alright but she went to that party in the first place because of Barbara and Sam hired Barbara. It was implied she wasn't originally hired. Thus wouldn't she not have attended the party originally? Or at least that's how my best friend and I read it.

Or if I am incorrect and she still would have attended the party without Barbara, two alternate scenarios were at play with her having died at the party:
1.) Sam is not present and Marilyn Monroe never hires Barbara --> The Misfits never exists because it ceases production when she dies.
2.) Sam hired Barbara --> Barbara cons her way into the lead female role which I assume GTFW considers a faulty scenario because the film was less successful this way and/or with the film Marilyn had made a more memorable exit.
And as a side note in either of these, the film was never retitled 'The Misfits' because that was Marilyn's suggestion (via Sam).

As you stated in your last post, the events of this episode really are difficult to follow.

Alright but she went to that party in the first place because of Barbara and Sam hired Barbara. It was implied she wasn't originally hired. Thus wouldn't she not have attended the party originally? Or at least that's how my best friend and I read it.

Or if I am incorrect and she still would have attended the party without Barbara, two alternate scenarios were at play with her having died at the party:
1.) Sam is not present and Marilyn Monroe never hires Barbara --> The Misfits never exists because it ceases production when she dies.
2.) Sam hired Barbara --> Barbara cons her way into the lead female role which I assume GTFW considers a faulty scenario because the film was less successful this way and/or with the film Marilyn had made a more memorable exit.
And as a side note in either of these, the film was never retitled 'The Misfits' because that was Marilyn's suggestion (via Sam).

As you stated in your last post, the events of this episode really are difficult to follow.

I expect that Marilyn would have gone to the party even without Barbara. Whatever PA she chooses would have told her about it.

As for the rest - in the original history either the Misfits wouldn't exist because there was no Marilyn to star in it, or it existed under an entirely different name (remember it was Marilyn who insisted on the title "The Misfits") with a completely different actress. Barbara would not have been the lead actress, as she needed Marilyn's connections for the interview.

Barbara was just an extra hurdle that GTFW chucked into the mix, probably because it was her almost stealing the role that made Marilyn want to do it.

I expect that Marilyn would have gone to the party even without Barbara. Whatever PA she chooses would have told her about it.

As for the rest - in the original history either the Misfits wouldn't exist because there was no Marilyn to star in it, or it existed under an entirely different name (remember it was Marilyn who insisted on the title "The Misfits") with a completely different actress. Barbara would not have been the lead actress, as she needed Marilyn's connections for the interview.

Barbara was just an extra hurdle that GTFW chucked into the mix, probably because it was her almost stealing the role that made Marilyn want to do it.

This is a possibility but remember Marilyn specifically said:
"I'm not hiring anyone today"
So how much longer would it have taken her to hire someone had Sam not stepped in and got Barbara hired that day?

This is a possibility but remember Marilyn specifically said:
"I'm not hiring anyone today"
So how much longer would it have taken her to hire someone had Sam not stepped in and got Barbara hired that day?

Marilyn changed her mood more often than she changed her panties. Sometime that day she would have realised she needed a PA and hired someone.

On an entirely unrelated topic SBF, I clicked on the link in your siggie to try to see your screencap collection, but all there is is a picture of the Quantum Leap logo. Is there something else I have to do to see the screencaps?

Marilyn changed her mood more often than she changed her panties. Sometime that day she would have realised she needed a PA and hired someone.

Alright I gotcha. I'm unfamiliar with her. I'm too young, she's long before my time, so if she changed her mood often than I can see your point as valid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

On an entirely unrelated topic SBF, I clicked on the link in your siggie to try to see your screencap collection, but all there is is a picture of the Quantum Leap logo. Is there something else I have to do to see the screencaps?

Ok just scroll down a little more until you see DVD cover photos with 'season 1', season 2' etc labels. Click on one to get to the specific episode galleries.
Apologies there isn't much there right now. I've been incredibly busy and since moving my Acer with the torrents I screencap from is still at my previous address. I'll get back on it as soon as possible.